I think that this piece was awesome! I found it very visual appealing and really enjoyed watching it. The colors were exquisite and she seems as if she has mastered her craft. I also found it very relaxing to sit through. She seems like a very down to earth artist and is very in touch with the tools she is using. I think that she likes things simple, but done well and effectively. The sci-fi aesthetic is a good one; it gives it a contemporary twist.
At first I felt like I was in the middle of the forest myself. I love how she illuminates the deer and he keeps making the same movements, because that is exactly what deer look like, they just stare. I really am not too sure what her ultimate goal was for this piece, but if for nothing else it is beautiful. Very beautiful. I think that something being beautiful is a fine reason to make artwork. This may have been a serene place she visited in her life or even in her mind that she wanted to reinvent and make her own. I think that having a strong relationship to nature makes for a better image, in my opinion. When I see beautiful places, such as this forest she filmed I get this feeling of happiness and comfort. It makes me believe so much in the power of beauty and why things look like this. I also begin to believe that places like this were made for a special reason.
She seems to be in touch with nature and obviously has a love for it, as do I, so I think that is why I immediately fell in love with this piece. The name of the piece, “Twilight Avenger” raises some questions in my mind. I wonder if she is talking about the deer? I think she is. I love this video and how involved she got even though it is very simple. Some things are just better the simpler they are. I hope that she makes more videos or photographs like this video because it was so visual appealing and wonderful it made me want to see more of it. It reminded me of the machines that make forest or rain noises, and they could go hand in hand, like a bed time video, but I do think it is much more developed than that. But it could be used for many things, since it is so mellow and beautiful.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tyler School of Art Performance?
Everyone is all a fuss over Tyler's declaration of war against all art schools, I think its funny.
Is it a performance or just a stupid prank?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bivouac Show @ Vox
My favorite piece from the Bivouac show at Vox was Steve Roden’s video anything else &/or nothing at all (drawing circles for jackson mac low) from 2006. At first I knew nothing about the background of the piece and was just pleased by its aesthetic value. After talking to Andrew and reading the catalog description the work interested me even more. It is performance art, but the actual objects that are the outcome of his private performances are the artistic work.
Steve Roden’s theme is to create works that are abstract and random-looking with complex formulas that he comes up with. For anything else &/or nothing at all Roden created a formula that “transposed each letter, number, and symbol of Mac Low’s score into an equivalent color, mark, and duration for altering the found film” he used as a basis for the piece. For example, on letter can mean yellow paint, the number could mean he has to do it for 6 frames of the video, and the symbol could tell him what shape the yellow paint must be in, such as circles or squares. The found film was a 1950’s educational film that was used to teach children how to draw circles.
Roden’s drawings are created in the same way that anything else &/or nothing at all was, with the exception that he is forced to make decisions on where specifically he has to put the materials and shapes or lines on the paper. Roden took words from two different found text sources for each drawing that is in the show. For someone else to follow the directions he created for these drawings would create a totally different piece, they are directions, but the artist himself had to make the major decision of deciding “Yes, I will put that big yellow block there,” or maybe “No, it must be moved three inches down and one half inch to the left.” Roden’s drawings remind me of children’s scribbles, if it were not for the straight lines and the story behind the works, I would have guessed that they were made by a child.
Roden creates tension in his works by creating abstract forms by using a systematic set of specifically followed directions. The viewer must learn about the background of the artist’s systematic performances to create these works, otherwise they may also believe it is more like children’s art.
Roden’s work relates to the reading, Live Performance in a Mediatized Culture, from this week in that Philip Auslander talks about how television is “a hybrid of existing forms.” Roden has also created a hybrid of forms by combining an old film, with new abstract art, and mathematical formulas. Television is the new relationship between artists and the viewer, the artist can now get his work seen by more people because it is easier to access if he creates a video of it.
Auslander also talks about how drama on television is comparable to seeing drama on stage in a theatre; if this is true, than is it not true that seeing an artist’s work on television is not the same as going to a gallery to view it? Is a person not more comfortable in their own home than in a stark white-walled gallery, a person is outside of their comfort zone in a gallery, causing them to miss things. If a person could watch the work, such as Roden’s video anything else &/or nothing at all, at home in their comfort level, who is to say that they would not study it for hours as opposed to the five to fifteen minutes they would be comfortable watching it for in a gallery. I know that sometimes when I have to go to a gallery for class and it’s really cold or raining, I would rather see the artwork from the comfort of my home. I would probably spend more time with the pieces if I could view them at home, at least I would have time enough to see them and study them as much as I want. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy going to galleries, but I feel that with all the things people have to get done on a daily basis combined with the strange hours that galleries are normally open, it would be nice to view art at your own pace and time, just like I would have liked to spend more time with Roden’s anything else &/or nothing at all.
In conclusion, I feel that Steve Roden has discovered a new genre of art; mathematical art or maybe I should call it abstract mathematical performance art. I’m not sure if this kind of mathematical system exists in any other kind of art, except for maybe architecture or other three-dimensional works, but it is the first time I have seen anything like it and I have started to enjoy it.
Steve Roden’s theme is to create works that are abstract and random-looking with complex formulas that he comes up with. For anything else &/or nothing at all Roden created a formula that “transposed each letter, number, and symbol of Mac Low’s score into an equivalent color, mark, and duration for altering the found film” he used as a basis for the piece. For example, on letter can mean yellow paint, the number could mean he has to do it for 6 frames of the video, and the symbol could tell him what shape the yellow paint must be in, such as circles or squares. The found film was a 1950’s educational film that was used to teach children how to draw circles.
Roden’s drawings are created in the same way that anything else &/or nothing at all was, with the exception that he is forced to make decisions on where specifically he has to put the materials and shapes or lines on the paper. Roden took words from two different found text sources for each drawing that is in the show. For someone else to follow the directions he created for these drawings would create a totally different piece, they are directions, but the artist himself had to make the major decision of deciding “Yes, I will put that big yellow block there,” or maybe “No, it must be moved three inches down and one half inch to the left.” Roden’s drawings remind me of children’s scribbles, if it were not for the straight lines and the story behind the works, I would have guessed that they were made by a child.
Roden creates tension in his works by creating abstract forms by using a systematic set of specifically followed directions. The viewer must learn about the background of the artist’s systematic performances to create these works, otherwise they may also believe it is more like children’s art.
Roden’s work relates to the reading, Live Performance in a Mediatized Culture, from this week in that Philip Auslander talks about how television is “a hybrid of existing forms.” Roden has also created a hybrid of forms by combining an old film, with new abstract art, and mathematical formulas. Television is the new relationship between artists and the viewer, the artist can now get his work seen by more people because it is easier to access if he creates a video of it.
Auslander also talks about how drama on television is comparable to seeing drama on stage in a theatre; if this is true, than is it not true that seeing an artist’s work on television is not the same as going to a gallery to view it? Is a person not more comfortable in their own home than in a stark white-walled gallery, a person is outside of their comfort zone in a gallery, causing them to miss things. If a person could watch the work, such as Roden’s video anything else &/or nothing at all, at home in their comfort level, who is to say that they would not study it for hours as opposed to the five to fifteen minutes they would be comfortable watching it for in a gallery. I know that sometimes when I have to go to a gallery for class and it’s really cold or raining, I would rather see the artwork from the comfort of my home. I would probably spend more time with the pieces if I could view them at home, at least I would have time enough to see them and study them as much as I want. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy going to galleries, but I feel that with all the things people have to get done on a daily basis combined with the strange hours that galleries are normally open, it would be nice to view art at your own pace and time, just like I would have liked to spend more time with Roden’s anything else &/or nothing at all.
In conclusion, I feel that Steve Roden has discovered a new genre of art; mathematical art or maybe I should call it abstract mathematical performance art. I’m not sure if this kind of mathematical system exists in any other kind of art, except for maybe architecture or other three-dimensional works, but it is the first time I have seen anything like it and I have started to enjoy it.
When I first walked up to see this piece, one thing that I could not stop focusing on was the flawless use of color. That aspect alone, I found to be completely engaging. However, that aspect is not one that composes the whole piece, not even close actually. Other formal elements that make this so easy to keep watching are the vast variety of objects, the documentation of how the objects are arranged and collaged together and why. The cuts are choppy, yet smooth flowing and each different clip is like just watching someone make a mess that turns out to be beautiful in the end. Also on that note, aside from being a beautiful mess, we watch something in the making. The viewer is forced to watch as these things get pieced together and become their own unique, finite creation. Finite in how it is limited in it’s own existence as we continue to watch, only to see these creations be destroyed. This directly relates to the idea of performance art in the way that it happened just then, just once and it will never happen in the same way again and that experience of doing this for the artist is genuinely one of a kind. However, as it has been documented via video, the viewer is able to experience this viewing of someone elses experience more than once.
Something else I took from watching this is the utilization of experimentation. While watching this I was reminded of my pre-college days when I was obsessed with the idea of making art with ANY objects I wanted. The idea of using objects that had been intended to fulfill a purpose other than creativity, for the sake of just that has always been really interesting and innovative to me. This whole experimentation then becomes also, a performance, therefore experimentation as a performance. This comes back to the idea of this act being a one-time thing. Because when an experiment takes place, it is really only for the instant that it happens. Using the word play is actually a great way to describe it because with an actual experimentation, one follows very specific steps to acquire a very specific result that they hope to achieve. In this, Hubbard just flows with his actions and seems to instinctively place the objects and move his hands to pour the paint in a way that does not require that specific result. The result is what it is and is what it becomes as a result of him just doing what he’s doing with the materials he has. I’m sure he does have an idea of what he wants the end result to look like. It shows again, in his great use of color as well as the objects and materials he uses and how well they all seem to work with eachother.
Auslander Reading
Philip Auslander has many great points about how live performance will change in the future. When he spoke about The Doors doing a live performance and wanting a television on stage on with a live feed, this started a huge movement. I think that they had something going when they thought about this. He also talks about how television has a certain drama involved in it that in which is close to theater. Television is known to me more than theater is, but I do have to respect that there would not be television without theater. I think that the idea that The Doors had added to the drama of a concert made it an even better experience than what it would have been without it. I think that it took creative people, such as The Doors to think outside the box, and think about what else the television could be used for, and how people could interact and enjoy themselves more.
Phelan says, “Performance’s independence from mass reproduction, technologically, economically, and linguistically, is its greatest strength.” I think that she makes a great point, but for example, if there is live feed or a performance it is not being reproduced. It is being reproduced only if it is filmed and distributed, then it is being reproduced. She thinks that performance is independent and the liveness of it is what makes it so special, but I think that in our day in age and with our technology that anything that is live should be greatly appreciated. I think that a concert or spoken word is just as special as a performance. I do not think that if someone is having their clothes ripped off in a public setting, etc should be set aside from other things that are performances as well, such as a rock show, theater or even someone just reading a poem. In my eyes they are all one in the same.
Phelan also says that, “Performance cannot be saved, recorded, documented, or otherwise participate in the circulation of representations of representations, once it does, so it becomes something other than a performance.” I do not agree with this. There is something that is powerful and intimate about a one-time performance because it is never the same twice. I do think that things now are a lot different and the recording of a performance is there to only benefit the performance. A line in the reading that says, “Despite the recognition by critics such as Pavis of what he calls the inevitable “technological and aesthetic contamination” of live performance in the economy of repetition, there remains a strong tendency in performance theory to place live performance and mediatized or technological forms in direct opposition to one another.” I believe that he and Phelan have a similar feeling on what a performance is and what should not be involved, that being a recording or live feed. I am very confused as to why Phelan or Pavis would not like the fact that we have so many wonderful technological advancements, and why they wouldn’t want to use them to their benefit or even still consider them part of someone’s performance. I think that the world has changed so much that everyone should take advantage of our booming technology. I do agree that in our time that it be fine if a performance is reproduced because some people may not be able to see a one time performance and it is good to have especially with a class like this so we can see it and study it.
We are no longer in such a traditional world and there is so much around us that changes and we need to change with it. I think that in the end of the reading when Auslander is speaking about chatterbots as being live performers he is right, it is still something that is set up and performed live. Again, times change and we need to change with them, that also being out thought process along with technology.
Phelan says, “Performance’s independence from mass reproduction, technologically, economically, and linguistically, is its greatest strength.” I think that she makes a great point, but for example, if there is live feed or a performance it is not being reproduced. It is being reproduced only if it is filmed and distributed, then it is being reproduced. She thinks that performance is independent and the liveness of it is what makes it so special, but I think that in our day in age and with our technology that anything that is live should be greatly appreciated. I think that a concert or spoken word is just as special as a performance. I do not think that if someone is having their clothes ripped off in a public setting, etc should be set aside from other things that are performances as well, such as a rock show, theater or even someone just reading a poem. In my eyes they are all one in the same.
Phelan also says that, “Performance cannot be saved, recorded, documented, or otherwise participate in the circulation of representations of representations, once it does, so it becomes something other than a performance.” I do not agree with this. There is something that is powerful and intimate about a one-time performance because it is never the same twice. I do think that things now are a lot different and the recording of a performance is there to only benefit the performance. A line in the reading that says, “Despite the recognition by critics such as Pavis of what he calls the inevitable “technological and aesthetic contamination” of live performance in the economy of repetition, there remains a strong tendency in performance theory to place live performance and mediatized or technological forms in direct opposition to one another.” I believe that he and Phelan have a similar feeling on what a performance is and what should not be involved, that being a recording or live feed. I am very confused as to why Phelan or Pavis would not like the fact that we have so many wonderful technological advancements, and why they wouldn’t want to use them to their benefit or even still consider them part of someone’s performance. I think that the world has changed so much that everyone should take advantage of our booming technology. I do agree that in our time that it be fine if a performance is reproduced because some people may not be able to see a one time performance and it is good to have especially with a class like this so we can see it and study it.
We are no longer in such a traditional world and there is so much around us that changes and we need to change with it. I think that in the end of the reading when Auslander is speaking about chatterbots as being live performers he is right, it is still something that is set up and performed live. Again, times change and we need to change with them, that also being out thought process along with technology.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Meiro Koizumi
This is a video piece. A man covered in face paint is sitting at a table in front of a slab of clay and a black-glazed sculpture of an odd shape. There is a man behind the camera instructing him. He wants the man at the table to recreate the sculpture out of the slab of clay. While he is molding the clay, the man behind the camera asks the other guy some questions. Before starting, he asks the molder is he wants some water. The molder refuses. The man behind the camera proceeds to ask about where he’s from, when he moved, his parents’ divorce, and his relationship with his father. The man molding the clay begins to get frustrated with some of the questions. As the frustration levels rise, the man behind the camera says that they are going to start over. They start over and the man at the table asks for water. The man behind the camera says that he cannot have water until he makes the form. The guy gets more frustrated and says that the figure is too hard to finish. Eventually, he starts again and his hands begin to cramp. The man behind the camera instructs him to finish faster. Then he says that they are going to start again, from the beginning. After the third time starting over, the man at the table looked exhausted. The man behind the camera began again with the questions. At one point, the man at the table wasn’t even making the form of the sculpture. He was talking about the last time he saw his father and how angry he was at him. He just squeezed the clay with anguish. The man behind the camera tells him to stop when the clay looked a certain way, mangled and manipulated with depression, bitterness and resentfulness.
When I started my notes, I labeled this piece “Cruel and unusual punishment.” It felt like the artist was really playing with this man’s emotions to get a certain reaction out of him. Not only was the man instructed to recreate a highly conceptual sculpture, he was asked many details about his life, including very personal and painful ones, like his parents’ divorce and his last memory of his father. At one point, in the middle of talking about the last memory of his father, he punches the clay a few times to vent his anger. It was a very emotional piece and I felt angry after I finished watching it.
I really don’t have a lot to say about this work or the rest of the show. Maybe it’s because I’m not as much of an artist as the others in my class or school, so I don’t really “appreciate” the show as much as my teacher and my classmates.
When I started my notes, I labeled this piece “Cruel and unusual punishment.” It felt like the artist was really playing with this man’s emotions to get a certain reaction out of him. Not only was the man instructed to recreate a highly conceptual sculpture, he was asked many details about his life, including very personal and painful ones, like his parents’ divorce and his last memory of his father. At one point, in the middle of talking about the last memory of his father, he punches the clay a few times to vent his anger. It was a very emotional piece and I felt angry after I finished watching it.
I really don’t have a lot to say about this work or the rest of the show. Maybe it’s because I’m not as much of an artist as the others in my class or school, so I don’t really “appreciate” the show as much as my teacher and my classmates.
Craft Night Meiro Koizumi
In Craft Night Meiro Koizumi really pushes this man to go deeper into the traumatic experience of losing is father in his life. The clay is just a distraction masked as a craft to keep his hands busy and allow his mind to wonder while the voice pokes and prods the man with questions about his father leaving.
The performance was broken into stages of intensity it starts of mild and grows. At first the man seems to play along, he is relaxing while he molds the clay and answers the man’s questions. He is working with the clay and clearly has no idea what he is doing with the clay but he keeps trying. His lack of artistic ability is quite comical, and you begin to wonder if he is even trying or paying attention to what he is doing.
The scene would not be so odd if the man’s lip was not bleeding and the room wasn’t so dark, all inferring that this cannot be just a simple craft night as the title implies.
The good thing about this performance being a video is that the viewer can track the physical changes the man goes through as he gets further irritated with this craft night.
The first time the voice says he wants to start over the man is not happy about it but goes along. The difference this time is he is moving faster and more clumsily trying to make the session end faster. It is clear he is irritated and distracted, while trying to be polite.
The man complains that his hands hurt and he just wants water. It is unclear if he wants the water to drink or to make the clay easier to mold. Water usually makes it easier for people to talk when they are upset. They drink the water and their mouth is no longer dry and uncomfortable its easier to speak. Drinking water would also give the man a moment to pause and collect his thoughts, something the voice doesn’t not want. He wants him to work through the tough spots and continue on until he successfully makes the sculpture or has and emotional break through. The voice does not want this process to be easy.
He is asked why his parents divorced he answers them snippily “non of your business”. He demands water and begins to yell when he is denied and seemly ignored. At this point he is looking directly into the camera and it’s hard to tell if he is yelling at the audience or the voice behind the camera.
This part is significant of this interrogation because the viewer becomes a participant in the performance at a tense moment in the film. The man clearly doesn’t want to continue, he is tired and under duress and is simple asking for water. As a bystander is the audience supposed to get involved and bring this man water or even make the questioning stop allowing the man to leave. But as a viewer I just sat there and let it continue.
He yells at the voice that is simple patronizing him with calm refusals to his demands for water. Then there is a jump in the film; it cuts off but only for a quick moment. When the film comes back on the man is still at the table working the clay, and it appears a little less hard. It is unclear whether he received water or not during the unscheduled break.
The man begins to complain more so about how his hands hurt and he just wants some water. As the clay gets harder so does the man’s ability to rehash his past feelings about his father. He is really struggling with the clay and with reliving his bad memories about his father.
The end scene is very traumatic as the man recalls the memories of his father for the last time. His hands are working this clay but he is not even looking at it anymore. It is clear his mind is somewhere else. He relives how his father wasn’t there for him after the divorce; in the first story he makes excuses for his dad. He was a doctor he was very busy and lived far away, but not this time he simple accepts that his dad wasn’t there for him, he didn’t call or visit. His face is tense and saddened as he tells the story, then he remembers the last time his dad came to visit him with exact detail, August 26 and he was in the 6th grade. His dad was trying to be nice and he lost his temper and broke the toy he brought for him and his dad died to months later.
The ending was shocking and unexpected; it was completely unknown that his father was trying to make amends. It becomes clear why the man was avoiding sharing this memory with the voice behind the camera because of his deep regret for mistreating his dad before his death and never being able not fix the relationship. Suddenly the voice begins to shout “Stop Stop” he runs toward the man and physically removes his hands from the clay, which is now mush because he had been squeezing it so tightly he forgot it was in his hands. The voice from behind the camera brings him some water even though he had not finished his sculpture it was clear the man could go no further, and the voice got the emotional break down he was seeking.
The performance was broken into stages of intensity it starts of mild and grows. At first the man seems to play along, he is relaxing while he molds the clay and answers the man’s questions. He is working with the clay and clearly has no idea what he is doing with the clay but he keeps trying. His lack of artistic ability is quite comical, and you begin to wonder if he is even trying or paying attention to what he is doing.
The scene would not be so odd if the man’s lip was not bleeding and the room wasn’t so dark, all inferring that this cannot be just a simple craft night as the title implies.
The good thing about this performance being a video is that the viewer can track the physical changes the man goes through as he gets further irritated with this craft night.
The first time the voice says he wants to start over the man is not happy about it but goes along. The difference this time is he is moving faster and more clumsily trying to make the session end faster. It is clear he is irritated and distracted, while trying to be polite.
The man complains that his hands hurt and he just wants water. It is unclear if he wants the water to drink or to make the clay easier to mold. Water usually makes it easier for people to talk when they are upset. They drink the water and their mouth is no longer dry and uncomfortable its easier to speak. Drinking water would also give the man a moment to pause and collect his thoughts, something the voice doesn’t not want. He wants him to work through the tough spots and continue on until he successfully makes the sculpture or has and emotional break through. The voice does not want this process to be easy.
He is asked why his parents divorced he answers them snippily “non of your business”. He demands water and begins to yell when he is denied and seemly ignored. At this point he is looking directly into the camera and it’s hard to tell if he is yelling at the audience or the voice behind the camera.
This part is significant of this interrogation because the viewer becomes a participant in the performance at a tense moment in the film. The man clearly doesn’t want to continue, he is tired and under duress and is simple asking for water. As a bystander is the audience supposed to get involved and bring this man water or even make the questioning stop allowing the man to leave. But as a viewer I just sat there and let it continue.
He yells at the voice that is simple patronizing him with calm refusals to his demands for water. Then there is a jump in the film; it cuts off but only for a quick moment. When the film comes back on the man is still at the table working the clay, and it appears a little less hard. It is unclear whether he received water or not during the unscheduled break.
The man begins to complain more so about how his hands hurt and he just wants some water. As the clay gets harder so does the man’s ability to rehash his past feelings about his father. He is really struggling with the clay and with reliving his bad memories about his father.
The end scene is very traumatic as the man recalls the memories of his father for the last time. His hands are working this clay but he is not even looking at it anymore. It is clear his mind is somewhere else. He relives how his father wasn’t there for him after the divorce; in the first story he makes excuses for his dad. He was a doctor he was very busy and lived far away, but not this time he simple accepts that his dad wasn’t there for him, he didn’t call or visit. His face is tense and saddened as he tells the story, then he remembers the last time his dad came to visit him with exact detail, August 26 and he was in the 6th grade. His dad was trying to be nice and he lost his temper and broke the toy he brought for him and his dad died to months later.
The ending was shocking and unexpected; it was completely unknown that his father was trying to make amends. It becomes clear why the man was avoiding sharing this memory with the voice behind the camera because of his deep regret for mistreating his dad before his death and never being able not fix the relationship. Suddenly the voice begins to shout “Stop Stop” he runs toward the man and physically removes his hands from the clay, which is now mush because he had been squeezing it so tightly he forgot it was in his hands. The voice from behind the camera brings him some water even though he had not finished his sculpture it was clear the man could go no further, and the voice got the emotional break down he was seeking.
BIVOUAC
I believe that the three pieces I have written about below are good examples of how the exhibit as a whole coincides very well with each other. They each brought about the idea of playing with their medium and letting their guard down, which allows for a free form to appear as the final product.
The pieces were intriguing and once Andrew told me the background behind most of the works, it made me like them even more. For example, Steve Roden's work's "my doubt, a mass of ancient night, concludes in many a subtle branch" and "so I loved a dream? aimai-je un reve?" looked like any contemporary 20 something artist working with the standard bright colors that is "hip" today, but Andrew explained that there was a process of mathematical equation, which was how he made the piece. I guess it is a little sad that I could not appreciate this work fully until I knew the background behind it. I'm excited to see Angela take this approach because I feel like it would be really interesting to see this all happen in person. I actually feel like I did this process a bit when I was younger. I used to come up with my own alphabet and tried to make them combine with the numbers they were associated with (A would be with 1, B with 2, etc, etc.).
Meiro Koizumi's piece "Craftnight" was intriguing as well. I caught the video in between and had no idea what was going on, but as I watched a little more I assumed he was talking about his father and the troubles in the past he’s had. I believe that the actor was partially acting and partially bringing out some deep personal emotion, but I guess that’s what good actors have to do. I felt like the premise of the video was to connect these sad memories we all have as children to the way we turn out as adults. Everyone has their stories of heartbreak from their parents and some are way worse than others, but some people should realize they have it a lot better than some people. Maybe Koizumi was trying to connect the actor to everyone who has had these bad memories of their parents but chose the actor as a symbol for the people who really don’t have it that bad and are seeking someone to listen to them bitch and moan. So many people are great at acting out their emotions and getting people to feel sorry for them. I love the title when I think about the piece in this way because its as if people use their hands so much in order to relieve stress and what a better way to relieve it with clay. The title “craftnight” makes it seem as if these are daily meetings like AA or Bingo night which has people socialize and work together in some instances. Other than that, I thought the lighting was very appropriate and made the entire situation seem a little grimmer.
Alex Hubbard’s “Cineopolis”, “Untitled Red Herring”, and “Dos Nacionales”, were all really great films. I wish I had a room where I could play it all day in my home. The premise of the work was what attracted me because at first I thought that Hubbard had everything magnetized, but then I realized that he was filming a table from a bird’s eye view. The piece seemed to be slightly planned, but also had a bit of random placements added to it. I took it in as an experience that solely paid attention to sound and visuals. I did not question myself to figure out what concept was behind the video, I just took it as it was. Seeing the video as one single form brought about more emotion in me than any of the pieces in the exhibit. I thought of it as Hubbard testing the senses, almost making us feel like we have Synesthesia. The constant change in colors and form made me feel different emotions. I assume if I were high it would be quite a potent sensory experience. I wasn’t sure if the sounds were made on location or if they found different samples because the sounds were so clear and crisp.
The pieces were intriguing and once Andrew told me the background behind most of the works, it made me like them even more. For example, Steve Roden's work's "my doubt, a mass of ancient night, concludes in many a subtle branch" and "so I loved a dream? aimai-je un reve?" looked like any contemporary 20 something artist working with the standard bright colors that is "hip" today, but Andrew explained that there was a process of mathematical equation, which was how he made the piece. I guess it is a little sad that I could not appreciate this work fully until I knew the background behind it. I'm excited to see Angela take this approach because I feel like it would be really interesting to see this all happen in person. I actually feel like I did this process a bit when I was younger. I used to come up with my own alphabet and tried to make them combine with the numbers they were associated with (A would be with 1, B with 2, etc, etc.).
Meiro Koizumi's piece "Craftnight" was intriguing as well. I caught the video in between and had no idea what was going on, but as I watched a little more I assumed he was talking about his father and the troubles in the past he’s had. I believe that the actor was partially acting and partially bringing out some deep personal emotion, but I guess that’s what good actors have to do. I felt like the premise of the video was to connect these sad memories we all have as children to the way we turn out as adults. Everyone has their stories of heartbreak from their parents and some are way worse than others, but some people should realize they have it a lot better than some people. Maybe Koizumi was trying to connect the actor to everyone who has had these bad memories of their parents but chose the actor as a symbol for the people who really don’t have it that bad and are seeking someone to listen to them bitch and moan. So many people are great at acting out their emotions and getting people to feel sorry for them. I love the title when I think about the piece in this way because its as if people use their hands so much in order to relieve stress and what a better way to relieve it with clay. The title “craftnight” makes it seem as if these are daily meetings like AA or Bingo night which has people socialize and work together in some instances. Other than that, I thought the lighting was very appropriate and made the entire situation seem a little grimmer.
Alex Hubbard’s “Cineopolis”, “Untitled Red Herring”, and “Dos Nacionales”, were all really great films. I wish I had a room where I could play it all day in my home. The premise of the work was what attracted me because at first I thought that Hubbard had everything magnetized, but then I realized that he was filming a table from a bird’s eye view. The piece seemed to be slightly planned, but also had a bit of random placements added to it. I took it in as an experience that solely paid attention to sound and visuals. I did not question myself to figure out what concept was behind the video, I just took it as it was. Seeing the video as one single form brought about more emotion in me than any of the pieces in the exhibit. I thought of it as Hubbard testing the senses, almost making us feel like we have Synesthesia. The constant change in colors and form made me feel different emotions. I assume if I were high it would be quite a potent sensory experience. I wasn’t sure if the sounds were made on location or if they found different samples because the sounds were so clear and crisp.
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